Tangled Up in You
by Owls The Sailor
Summary: It was what she had wanted to do in the first place, but she had fooled herself into thinking it was something else– she had thought she'd grown up, but she was still wandering aimlessly. She missed him…


**A/N:** Hey guys, there has been a lot going on lately. Super busy. I love it though. So here is my latest little one-shot. Its for the Hogwarts House Challenge (go check it out, its awesome- Join Ravenclaw!) Basically its written for the NoTP round of the Triwizard Tournament (scary! I know) and a few other little side challenges. Also word count was at 1939 which is kinda disappointing, but oh well. Anyway let's hop into the what is this for paragraph and also prompts.

Triwizard Tournament-

(Song) 'Tangled Up In You' by Staind

(Word) vulnerable

(Sentence) Could they really blame him/her for giving in?

(Dialogue) "I don't believe in love at first sight."

(Quote) "One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving." by Paulo Coelho

Camp Hogwarts-

[Plot] The Golden Trio Rebuilding the Magical world

Quidditch Pitch -

[Spell] Silencio

Hoots,

Owls

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters in the story or anything created by JKR; also, I don't own the song used in this story. That's Staind's.

* * *

She began to let her thoughts wander to the last couple of years she had. The stress of this last year which had only slightly lessened with the end of her NEWTs and then her time in the woods with Harry and Ron. Suddenly the fear she had felt then was renewed by thoughts of the future. Not just her future (jobs, family, marriage, etc.) but the future of the wizarding world.

Hermione leaned against the wall of an abandoned hallway; it's cold bricks bringing life back to her numb body. Her thoughts drifted in and out, eventually staying with Ron, the man she loved. He had left her, not permanently, but he had left her alone at Hogwarts. He left her vulnerable to the world, and she wondered if he cared. But then he had showed up in the Great Hall and confused her further by getting down on one knee.

"Ron…" she had gasped. The students and teachers had all turned their eyes to her. Ginny was trying her hardest to keep in a squeal beside her. "I…" She gulped feeling the pressure of the day hanging off her shoulders. "I… I'm not feeling to well." She stood suddenly and left him confused still on one knee.

And she had run off to the hallway hoping that no one would follow her. Hoping that her life would stay behind her and never come back. That she would never have to face the world because it was too big. She didn't want to stand on top of it like a wedding-cake topper. She wanted to actually change the world for the better. After everything she deserved that, right?

Hermione's breath stopped being ragged and her heart began to beat normally and she turned towards the other end of the hallway to face the sight she had been fearing. Ron looked shocked and confused still, his hair and mess. Even from where she was standing, ten feet away, she smelled the alcohol on him. "You aren't sick," he observed.

"Yeah…" she looked at her feet. "Ron, maybe we should talk when you aren't drunk."

"You are a smart witch, Hermione, but I'm not a smart wizard. You better tell me what the bloody hell happened back there." He frowned at her, toppling a bit on his feet while he was walking towards her.

She gulped in more air, not caring if it reeked of his impulsive habit. "I don't really know myself, but…"

"You don't know," he hissed, eyes glazing over.

"Ron, you should get some sleep."

"No, I need to hear this from you now, and _you_ need to figure out what's going on." He pointed at her with a wobbly finger, but his truth didn't escape her.

"Okay, I've… I love you Ron. I can honestly say that. You are an amazing person– brave and funny and sweet– but I know now what I want out of life. I'm no longer a kid and neither are you and we want different things now. That's very clear." He didn't seem to understand. "I want to change the wizarding word for the better, Ron, and you just want to fix it. You want to be on the front cover of Witch Weekly, and I want to free the house elves– very different things."

"They like working though-" Hermione held up her wand whispering a quick _Silencio_ on the drunk.

"Ron, I don't think you are fit to fight right now, and you have to leave tomorrow." She leaned him against the wall. "Goodbye," Hermione pressed a final solemn kiss to his lips.

Instantly regret filled her, but she scolded herself. She couldn't really handle everything now– could she? – so could they really blame her for giving in?

* * *

Months later, Hermione never regretted her decision. Her life was great! Really, it was. She had a beautiful office at the Ministry's magical law department, and had already started working great miracles; at least, she thought they were pretty great, but no one seemed to care. "One day, they will," she hissed to herself, trying not to get into a rut.

There was a knock on her opened door, an intern leaning in. She turned to face him with a brilliant smile on her face. "Hello, how can I help you?" He was rather cute; she had heard of him from some of the other female attorneys gossip. His jaw was sharp and his eyes a deep, rich brown, but his hair was always mussed up which reminded her off Harry, a man she's only ever had platonic feelings for.

"I'm Franklin Trimond, I have a letter for you. A man at the front desk really insisted you read it." He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling.

"Really?" She plucked the letter curiously from his hand. Who would want her to read a letter so badly they brought it themselves.

"My numbers also in there-"

She raised a brow. "You are an intern– and I'm not sure if you know this– but dating co-workers is against office policy."

"Uh right…" He smirked, not feeling badly at being caught. "But maybe we could get a drink sometime?" She rolled her eyes and opened the letter. The familiar scrawl of Ron Weasley dotted the page.

 _You're my world_

 _The shelter from the rain_

 _You're the pills_

 _That take away my pain_

 _You're the light_

 _That helps me find my way_

 _You're the words_

 _When I have nothing to say_

 _And in this world_

 _Where nothing else is true_

 _Here I am_

 _Still tangled up in you_

 _I have been meaning to tell you ever since that day how much I love you, Hermione. As soon as I heard this muggle song, I just knew I had to win you back. I love you too much, and I miss you so much it hurts. I can't think it's so bad._

 _You think we want different things, but we don't. I just want you, Hermione, and I will do everything in my power to prove it to you. Starting today, I'm going to change the wizarding world for you._

 _Love,_

 _Ron_

Just when she thought her world was turning up. "Are you alright Ms. Granger?"

"No…" She thought for a moment. "I need to get out," she marched past him and through the office.

"What? Where are you going?" He asked following her to the floo.

"To get a drink. Unless you want to buy me one." She was feeling reckless. Her mind was everywhere and honestly she could stand for a good fling with the cute intern, even if he did look like Harry.

"Of course," he grinned.

* * *

Hermione rolled over in the strange bed coming face to face with the cute intern– Lin? Frankie? she couldn't quite remember his name with her pounding headache. She didn't regret sleeping with him, but she felt bad for him because of her reasons.

She sighed and faced the ceiling wondering if she could fix everything she screwed up. "Why does he even love me?" Hermione murmured, looking to the boy beside her. "Why would anyone love me? I'm designed for my own destruction." She sat up on the side of the bed and began to dress, not feeling dirty, not feeling anything.

* * *

She needed to do something. Something drastic, to fix everything.

 _You're the fire_

 _That warms me when I'm cold_

 _You're the hand_

 _I have to hold as I grow old_

 _You're the shore_

 _When I am lost at sea_

 _You're the only thing_

 _That I like about me_

 _And in this world_

 _Where nothing else is true_

 _Here I am_

 _Still tangled up in you_

Hermione had found the song that Ron had sent with her parent's computer. It was drastic, but she had moved back home after quitting her job. Now she was writing a book to reveal the truths about the war– the horrible secrets it had kept and the many lies that it had told. It was what she had wanted to do in the first place, but she had fooled herself into thinking it was something else– she had thought she'd grown up, but she was still wandering aimlessly.

She missed him…

With shaky hands she sealed the letter, placing it in the owl's talons. She leaned back into her chair, facing her word document.

* * *

 _Ron,_

 _"One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving." - Paulo Coelho. I don't really know if you'll get it, but I've been questioning why anyone would love me after what I did to you. I'm still really sorry, and it's alright if you never forgive me. I just have to say I'm sorry… I hope that one day you'll forgive me, and maybe just maybe…_

 _I don't believe in love at first sight or soul mates or any of that cheesy love stuff, but your sister does and she has a point. When two people are meant to be together they will only be happy with the other. I struggled with that for so long and thought maybe I would find someone else; I couldn't– not that I really tried._

 _Look I guess what I'm trying to say. Is I love you too and I miss you more than anything and yeah it hurts…_

 _Love,_

 _Hermione_

* * *

Hermione clicked away at her keyboard the last of her book's first draft coming together. After struggling over the year and finding out Ron had disappeared in Romania or someplace even more horrendously dangerous, she had thrown herself into her research and writing. It seemed to be the only constant in her life after her parents had forced her to move out and be more independent. She couldn't blame them, she had started to just sit on her bed in the dark all day looking at pictures of Ron.

Her eyes light up as she finished the last few words, and she fist pumped the air. She looked to the clock.3:00 am it flashed, nagging her. Rolling her eyes at the inanimate object, she flicked on her light picking up her cup of cold tea.

The wind was howling outside, but it didn't bother her– her mood was too high for anything to scare her except for the ominous knock on her door. She nearly dropped her cup on her foot when she heard it, but instead it land on the floor with very loud crack.

"Is everything okay in there?" the rough voice called from behind the door, muffled by the wood.

"Uh… yes?" She looked to the door, freezing when there was a particularly loud roar of wind. She didn't like this one bit.

She peeked through her peep-hole that was just a little to high for her to see through comfortably. All she could see was a red-headed man's back covered in a torn shirt. "Who's there?" she asked. Hesitant to open the door to a stranger, Hermione held her wand out so if she opened the door she could shoot a few curses at the man.

He laughed and turned around. "It's me." His eyes widen as he examined the peep-hole "What's this thing?" He poked at it, but the door was flung open. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. "I thought you died?" She sobbed into his chest.

"So did I, but it turns out that Tibetan monks do weird muggle healing magic and it's bloody amazing."

"Never do that again, okay."

"Same goes for you." She nodded and he walked her inside. The wind was still howling, but she felt safe again and happy.


End file.
